1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electrochemical measurement device and an electrochemical measurement apparatus provided with the electrochemical measurement device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A biological sample (object to be measured) which is a cell such as a fertilized egg and a tissue is active by transporting various substances between inside and outside thereof. For example, a cardiac muscle cell enables information transmission based on electric signals or compounds by transporting K ions, Na ions, Ca ions, etc., thereby controlling pulsation of a heart. In addition, a fertilized egg incorporates oxygen around thereof into cells by respiration, and is cleaved in a follicle while consuming incorporated oxygen. As a unit for measuring such an activity condition of a biological sample, methods have been known for electrically measuring a physicochemical state change occurring around a biological sample being held on an electrochemical measurement device. These methods are used for a pharmacological test for drug candidate compounds using model cells, or as a method for testing an activity of a fertilized egg.
For example, there has been a method, as a method for measuring respiration activity of a fertilized egg, in which a fertilized egg is caught by a micromanipulator or a micropipette, and an oxygen concentration around the fertilized egg is electrochemically measured using a working electrode (electrode). By using this method, the respiration activity of the fertilized egg can be quantified.
The above-mentioned electrochemical measurement method is configured based on a scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), and therefore, this method needs an operation to bring a working electrode (electrode) of a probe close to a biological sample, such as a fertilized egg, as an object to be measured. However, the operation for the working electrode (electrode) needs to be carried out manually, and thus, there is a problem in operability such that variation is caused depending on skills of operators.
As a unit for improving operability, a planar electrochemical measurement device has been known which has a micro working electrode (electrode) mounted on a substrate (see PTL 1, for example).
In PTL 1, the electrochemical measurement device includes a substrate, a placement part which is provided to the substrate and on which a biological sample (object to be measured) is placed, an electrode provided near the placement part, and an insulating film that covers the surface of the substrate so that the electrode is exposed. A peripheral wall part is provided around the substrate in the electrochemical measurement device to implement an electrochemical measurement apparatus having a space (well) for holding solution therein.
When a fertilized egg (object to be measured) is placed on the placement part of the electrochemical measurement apparatus, the fertilized egg is located near the electrode, whereby an oxygen concentration around the fertilized egg can electrochemically be measured with ease, and thus, the respiration activity of the fertilized egg can easily be quantified.